Cleveland Indians: The start of a potential rivalry with the Astros

The Cleveland Indians are in Houston tonight in what could be the beginning of a rivalry between the Indians and the Astros.

It appears to be a law of nature that wherever Justin Verlander plays, there is trouble brewing between his team and the Cleveland Indians.

The Indians and Astros are both in similar situations as the two teams have risen to prominence in the recent past, meaning both teams are poised for a potential postseason meeting in October.

First, the teams are set to play seven games against each other over the next 10 days. That starts tonight in Houston.

While the teams haven’t met once this season, Trevor Bauer started a bit of a spat by insinuating that the Astros pitchers may be using pine tar to their advantage. That led to some Astros pitchers getting very defensive, which isn’t exactly what one expects from someone who apparently did nothing wrong, but I digress.

Bauer decided to keep up the rosy relationship today as part of his 69 days of giving.

Lance McCullers appreciated the offer, but decided to send the money elsewhere.

This feud seems to be in good faith right now. And to be fair, Bauer never came out and directly accused the Astros of cheating.

I am curious to see if any of this talk boils over into the series. Fans are expecting a competitive seven games between these two teams, and seeing each other often could lead to some bad blood if there is a moment that serves as a spark.

Unfortunately, Bauer is not scheduled to pitch against the Astros in any of the seven games. But if a brawl breaks out I fully expect Bauer to be in the middle of all of it, along with all his teammates.

It is hard to get too excited about games in May, but this series should give fans a similar feeling to watching playoff baseball. The Indians are trudging along right now and could use a few big wins to help escape the purgatory of hanging around the .500 mark.

Next: Previewing the series against the Houston Astros

Some competitive baseball and a few one-run games could be enough to give fans a playoff feel and have Indians fans telling Astros fans to prepare for October. With the AL Central being so weak, the Indians are in need of a new rival.